William woolf



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. WOOLP, A. BROWN & J. R. RIOKARD. MACHINERY FOR GRINDING AND POLISHING STEEL BALLS.

Patented May 24,1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. WOO LF, A. BROWN 8: J. R. RIOKARD. MACHINERY FOR GRINDING AND POLISHING STEEL BALLS.

No. 604,594. Pat nted May24,189 8.

with .rarns arnn'ir Orrrcn.

IVILLIAM WOOLF, OF BIRMINGHAM, AND ALBERT BROWN AND JAMES R. RIOKARD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINERY FOR GRINDING AND POLISHING STEEL BALLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,594, dated May 24., 1898.

Application filed March 4,1898. Serial No. 672,597. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM WooLE, residing at Birmingham, in the county of \Varwick, and ALBERT BROWN and JAMES READ RIOKARD, residing at London, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Grinding and Polishing Balls; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in machinery for grinding and polishing balls, in which the balls are ground and polished between two horizontal plates; and the objectsof our improvements are, first, to enable a large number of balls to be ground or pol ished simultaneously to an exactly uniform size and a perfectly spherical shape; second, to enable the distance between the grindingplates to be exactly adjusted; third, to cause the upper plate to revolve rapidly upon its own center and at the same time to cause its center to revolve slowly round the center of the lower plate, and, fourth, to provide means for keeping the balls which are being ground or polished properly distributed. We attain these objects by the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-' Figure 1 is a vertical section of the entire machine; Fig. 2, a top view of the machine, and Fig. 3 a top view of a device by which the balls are kept distributed. Fig. 4: is a detail view of the connection between the diskspindle and its adjusting-screw. Fig. 5 is a detailview of the grinding-disk and the arms combined therewith.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is a strong frame, preferably of cast-iron, the upper and lower parts of which are shown fixed together by strong stays b and upon the top of which is formed or fixed a fiat circular table 0, of steel or other suitable mate rial, which forms one of the grinding-surfaces between which the balls are to be ground and polished. In Fig. 1 this table 0 is shown fitted into a recess prepared for it in the upper part of the frame A. At a convenient distance from this table, at each side of it, are arranged two vertical shafts d d, the centers of the table and of the two shafts being in a line, and the two shafts, which revolve in bearings e e e (2, being so connected together that they revolve simultaneously at the same speed and in the same direction. Upon these shafts cl d are formed or fixed cranks ff, having pins g g, which are connected together by a connecting-rod h, so that when the shafts d d are revolving every part of the connecting-rod 72, describes a circle similar to those described by the crank-pins g 9.

At the center of the connecting-rod h are formed bosses a, carrying bearings 7c, in which revolves a vertical spindle Z, carrying at its lower end a disk m, the lower face of which is perfectly parallel with the upper face of the lower grinding-table c, and the spindle Z is capable of being raised and lowered within sufficient limits .by a screw 01, which works through the bearing k, its lower end receiving the spherical top of a pin j, which is attached to the spindlel by a transverse pin. The spherical top of the pin j is held freely in the end of the screw it by a hollow nut screwed into the latter, so that while the upper disk always remains parallel with the lower table the distance between the two grinding-surfaces of c and 'm can be very accurately adjusted to suit the diameter of the balls which are to be ground and polished between them.

The upper grinding-disk is provided with a rim 0 round its outer edge, projecting downward nearly to the surface of the lower table 0, and the diameter of the upper disk m is preferably half or about half the diameter of the lower table a. If, therefore, the vertical side shafts d d are made to revolve, the upper horizontal disk m is made to travel round the lower table 0, and if at the same time it is made to revolve with sufiicient speed and suitable abrasive material is supplied the steel or other balls introduced between the grindin g-surfaces c and m and within the rim 0, carried by the upper disk m, are rapidly ground and polished between them to a perfectly spherical shape and to an absolutely uniform size, which is determined by the height of the upper disk m above the lower table a.

The abrasive material supplied is preferably emery-powder of suitable fineness and oil, and the lower surface of the upper disk m is formed of a composition of emery or other suitable abrasive substance. A channel is formed in the top of the frame round the lower steel grinding-disk to receive the surplus oil.

A vertical shaft 19 is arranged, turning in bearings r, in the frame below the grindingtable 0 and is set in revolution by means of a driving-pulley 8 upon it, driven by abelt from any convenient power. Upon this shaft is also fixed a toothed pinion t, which drives a toothed wheel it upon shaft cl, one of the vertical shafts already described, and so causes the cranks ff and the connecting-rod h to; The other vertical shaft 01 is also revolve. driven at the same speed and in the same direction as d by a toothed wheel to, also driven i by the pinion 1 The vertical shaft d is hollow and revolves upon a smaller concentric shaft v, the lower end of which turns in abearing, and carries a pulley 20, which is driven by means of a belt from a larger pulley 00 upon the central driving-shaftp, and the upper end of this inner shaft 12 carries a pulley 3 which drives by a belt a pulley e, fixed upon a crankpin g, which turns in bearings 3 in the connecting-rod h and carries a much larger pulley 1, which drives by a belt a small pulley 2, fixed upon the axle Z of the upper horizontal grinding-disk m, the bearings of which are carried by the connecting-rod h, as already described.

The size of the several pulleys is so proportioned that the grinding-disk m is made to revolve at a very high speed, while it also travels, as already described, at a very much slower speed round the lower table 0.

In order to prevent the balls from. being scattered too much while being ground, a thin frame (shown in Fig. 3) consisting of a sufficient number of arms m preferably four, may be used, the frame being provided with a central pin or stud which fits into a central hole in the upper disk on with sufficient friction so that it can turn by the action of the balls against the arms, the outer ends of which come close to the inner side of the rim round the table. This frame is indicated in Fig. 5 in connection with the disk.

The details of the apparatus may be varied more or less.

By means of the improved machinery or apparatus steel or other balls are ground and polished very rapidly an d with great accuracy and at little cost.

We are aware that prior to our invention balls have been ground and polished between two plates, and we do not claim such an arrangement broadly; but

What We do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in aball grinding and polishing machine, of a frame A and lower grinding-plate 0, central driving-shaft 19, side shaft d, hollow side shaft 01, and driving-gear 75,10, to, cranks f, f, connecting-rod h, bracket '5, bearings and spindle Z carrying grindingdisk m with rim 0, inner shaft 41, pulley w, and driving-pulley 0c, pulley y, spindle g turning in crank f and in bearings 3, 3, pulleyz driven by pulley y, and pulley 1 driving pulley 2 on spindle 25, all substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, the table a, the disk m, the spindle Z carrying the disk, the supporting means carrying bearings in which the spindle Zis journaled and means for adjusting the disk m toward and from the disk 0 comprising a screw 71 arranged in line with the spindle and the pin having a spherical head forming the connection between the end of the spindle and the screw, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the table c,the grinding-disk m having a projecting rim 0 and arranged with a space between its plain face and a similar face on the table 0 and the frame having arms with a pin connecting it to the diskm, said frame being located between the plain face of the table and disk and within the space bounded by the proj ecti n grim, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the table, the grindingdisk carrying the same, the movable bar 77. carrying the shaft of the grinding-disk, the cranks connected to the bar for operating the same and means for rotating the disk carried by the movable bar and having connection with one of the crank-shafts, said rotating means comprising the pulleys 1 and 2, the crank-pin g and the pulleys z, y, with connections between the pulleys 1 and 2 and between the pulleys z, y, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affiXed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM \VOOLF. ALBERT BROWN. JAMES R. RICKARD. Witnesses to the signature of the said William \Voolf:

FREDERICK J OHN EDwARDs, JOHN HERBERT CHANDLER. \Vitnesses to the signatures of Albert Brown and James Read Rickard:

PERCY E. MATTocKs, 'WM. 0. BROWN.

ICC 

